Disposable enema appliance



NOV. 25, 1952 E DE DISPOSABLE ENEMA APPLIANCE Filed April 1, 1950Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,619,086 DISPOSABLEENEMA APPLIANCE Emilie Wylde, Dover, Mass. Application April 1, 1950,Serial No. 153,315

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to appliances for use in giving enemas, moreparticularly to appliances of disposable type designed to be discardedafter a single use.

Customarily, enemas are'given by means of a flexible rubber enema tubeone end of which is shaped to facilitate insertion and the other end ofwhich is adapted to be attached to the delivery nipple of a fluidcontainer or the small end of a filling funnel.

Enemas are given as a normal procedure preliminarily to rectalexaminations and certain surgical operations; in cases involvinginadequate functioning of the colon; as a step in X-ray examination ofthe abdominal region, and in many other hospital treatments, so that ina general hospital, and to a still greater extent in a militaryhospital, a nurse may be required to give many enemas in a day.

For sanitary and health reasons as well as because in certain cases theenema solution may contain agents or medicaments which would not bepermissible for use with other patients, and because the tube or tubetip frequently becomes clogged during use, the enema tube should bethoroughly cleansed and sterilized after the giving of each enema.However, the cleansing of the enema appliance is an unpleasant andtimeconsuming task and one to be shunned whenever possible. Usuallyenemas are given in the morning which is the busiest time in hospitalroutine and when, as is often the case, the nursing staff is inadequate,and there is a strong temptation to pass from one patient to the next ingiving the enema treatments without taking the time and trouble properlyto cleanse the enema appliance; a practice which may result in thetransmission of disease from one patient to another, to say nothing ofthe aesthetic aspects of such a procedure.

As above noted the customary practice is to attach the rubber end of anenema tube to the small end of a filling funnel Or to the deliverynipple of a fluid receptacle or reservoir but this end of the tube maybecome stretched or split after a time and thus may slip off from thefunnel or container during use, thereby deluging the patient and bedwith solution and causing trouble and annoyance to all concerned.Furthermore, if it be desired to observe the flow of fluid it isnecessary to employ a special appliance comprising a length of glasstubing or equivalent, all of which adds to the trouble in using and incleansing and sterilizing the appliance.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an enemaappliance of such a character and so constructed and arranged that itsuse substantially avoids all of the above enumerated difiiculties. Afurther object is to provide an enema appliance which, as a practicalmatter, may be discarded after a single use. A further object is toprovide an enema appliance of simple, but adequate type, very cheap toconstruct and which is light in weight and easy and time-saving to useand which may be made so cheaply that its adoption as a disposablearticle is readily possible. A further object is to provide an enematube of thin, flexible material and sufiiciently transparent to permitthe flow of fluid through it to be observed. A further object is toprovide a very thin-walled, flexible enema tube provided with means forthickening and stifiening it at its delivery end. A further object is toprovide an enema appliance of unitary character wherein the tube, thefluid container and the tube tip are integrally joined so that theycannot become separated during use. A further object is to provide anenema appliance consisting of a cellulose derivative, for example paperor regenerated cellulose, sufficiently waterproof and heat-resistant tomaintain its integrity during the period of a single enema applicationbut which may be made so cheaply as to justify its disposal without anyattempt at cleansing it preparatory to further use. Other and furtherobjects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in thefollowing more detailed description and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation, with the mid-portion of thetube broken away, illustrating one desirable embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a diametrical section through the filling funnel and tubeshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged elevation of the tube tip;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modifiedconstruction; and

Fig. 5 is another view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a furthermodified construction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 designates a container forfluid to be used in giving an enema. This container, as illustrated, isan open topped funnel whose smaller end is continued downward in theform of a downwardly convergent nozzle 0r nipple l. The numeral 8designates a flexible tube which, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2,is integrally joined to the lower end of the nipple portion 1 of thefunnel. This tube 8 may be made of any desired length, for example 30inches and at its lower end, as illustrated in Fig. 2, merges integrallywith the tip portion 9, the lower end I0 .material employed in makingthis integral appli- 3 ance is of a kind such as to make it practical,from the cost standpoint, to discard the entire appliance after it .hasonce been used in. giving;

an enema. Rubber and similar materials are too expensive to be employedin devices of this kind which are intended to be discarded after asingle.

use. However, other materials (cheaper than rubber) are available, whichare so cheapas to make such disposal of the appliance practicallypossible. For example, the appliance may be made from a cellulosederivative suchaszipaper stock, par-chmentized paper, paper coated witha' protective film, or regenerated cellulose "(cellophane), and it is atleast possible that some of the-synthetic resins may eventually beproduc-ible at a cost such as to. make their. use practical-in themanufacture of this appliance.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the 'walls of the funnel,including'its upper .part and thernipple 1 are thicker than the wall, ofthe tube 8,. the latter being intended to be very thin vandcflexiblewhereas the funnel should be suficientlystifi and rigid to retain itsshape. when filled with :fluid.

Likewise the tip portion .9 also has a :thicker wal than the tube 8 sothat the tip portion!!! is :sufilciently still to maintain its shapeduring :insertion.

It is contemplated that this device'may bemade by a 'molding operationin properly shaped molds or dies or-by dipping a form into a fiuidbath'of "the selected material, the coating of fiuid'which adheres tothe form being stripped off from the latter after the coating has set.It is further contemplated that the appliance may be made from sheetstock out to proper shape and rolled or wound about a suitable mandrelin a 'manner similar to that employed in the formation of paper tubes.

'While the arrangementshown in Fig. 2 is preferable, wherein all of theparts ofthe appliance are integrally joined and of the same material, itis contemplated that under some circumstances it may be desirable tomake the flexible tube 8 of one material and the funnel and ti'p'of'another material or materials; Thus, asshown-in Fig. 4, the flexibletube i may have very-"thin walls and may bemade-ofany suitable cheapmaterial such as above suggested, and since-this tube 8 is of uniformdiameter it is contemplated-that.

it may be produced by an extrusion process as well as by any of theprocedures'abovesuggested. In this instance the funnel 6 may beofadifierent material, for example a stiff paper' rolled-or molded toshape, and they tip "9 may be of. a

'difi'erent type ofpaper or other cellulose product.

:In this instance it .is contemplated that the upper end of the tubewill be; permanently secured to the lower endof the nipple l of thefunnel,"for example, by cement or other adhesive, and "like-- wisethatth'e lower end of "theztube will be per- .manently .fixed to.thexupper end of the tip 9 by'lthe use of .cement rthe like. If thefunnel, .tip and tube are ofmaterials capable of being interfused. thenthe. .joints between these parts may be produced by fusion, employingheat and/or a solvent, together with pressure, TWhjatever the mode ofuniting the parts,-the union .between them should be strong,andpermanent so that they will .not become separated. duringuse.

In Fig. '5 a. further modification is illustrated wherein the funnelfi,.tube -it 'and'the tip 9 comprise an integral length of thin, flexiblematerial, for example cellophane'or the like,fbut in this'instance thefunnel is-stifiened bytheapplication of:

one or'more-coatings 13 of some-stifiening'matefile oft-this patent;

4 rial, for instance shellac or the like, preferably of a waterproofingnature. Likewise the tip portion. 9 is stiffiened by a coating M of, asuitable :stifieni-ngmaterial, preferably waterproof and which providesa smoothly polished outer surface. While the coatings l3 and [4 may beapplied as shown in Fig. 5 to the interior and exterior re-;spectivelyofxthe funnel and tip, it is to be understoodthat thecoatings may be otherwise applied 'if desired.

Ifithe.materialemployed in making the flexible tubular portion 8 of theappliance is cellophane or "the like, it will be sufficientlytransparent so that the flow of liquid ithrough the tube may be observedwithout resortrto the insertionofaasection of :glass .tubingoreqhivalenttzmeansi While certaindesirable :embodimentsotithezinventionhave been herein illustrated and: described by way of" example, it isto. :beunderstood that the invention is: broadlyrinclusive zet any andall modifications anci 'ofall materials whihh may be found of practicalutility .theformationof such a disposable device, but any permissiblechange must fall within thepurviewbf the claims asserted-herein. v

Iolaim: I

l. A disposable, single-use, *sanitaryenema appliance of the gravitypressure-typecomprising a tube-of substantially-uniform internaldiameter and-of a length of '20 inchesor'more, an open topped,downwardly tapering container permanent-ly Joined to the upper end-ofthe tube and a tip permanently joined'to'the*loWer-end-ot'the tube, thetip being substantially:cylindrical and of an external diameterappropriate *for 'insertion inthe rectum, the; tip beingsmooth'lyrounded at its lower end, and havinga "delivery orifice nearits lower end, "the entire tube being or very thin,iflexible'materialsubstantially devoid =ofinherent resiliency and-resistance to bendandfsufficiently "transparent to all'ow' the flow of fluid through it tobe observed 'at-"any; point in "its ength, 'the receptacle and tiphaving" thicker "walls than the, tube and'bei'ng stiffer" and more shaperetaining than :then'tube', theti'p having an axial bore 'of'substantially the. sameiinternal diameter as thatv of the tubegtheentireappliance, comprising. the receptacle, tube andtip, being, of

moisture-resistant -material whichgis tough and strong but substantially'cheaper" than rubber thereby to makepracticalfthe 'disposali'offthe en-.tire aDplianceafter-one use.

2. An enema appliance accordingfto claim. 1 wherein the receptacle,tube. and. tip constitute portions. .of a single seamless,continuouallength or. regenerated, cellulose.

REFERENCES CITED I'he. following ireferences .are:-;.of: record-inetheuNr-rnnas'rnrns PATENTS;

